Do I Need a PDA?

By: Cian Foley

If you have ever owned a walkman, kept a diary, played a gameboy, used a filofax or simply jotted on a napkin then a PDA may be for you.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are basically handheld computers that can be used for all of the above purposes and much more. The two most popular PDA types are the PocketPC, running the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, and the Palm running the PalmOS operating system. Both types include personal organisation software such as email, address book, diary, to-do list, notepad etc.

PDAs are more than just personal organisers though; they are powerful multimedia processing tools. They can be used as full-blown multimedia players capable of audio (MP3) audio and movie (MPEG) playback. Video games can be installed on them and they can even emulate legacy computer systems such as the Amiga, Megadrive, Nintendo and some older arcade machines, making them infinitely more flexible than a gameboy or similar handheld gaming device. They can also be used for everyday PC tasks such as browsing the web, viewing email, word processing and spreadsheets to name but a few.

Using a PDA is quite intuitive. A stylus (pen like instrument) is provided as a replacement for the mouse, and the view screen is touch-sensitive. Some PDAs have a physical keyboard although most simply have a few buttons for quick tasks and a directional pad for menu navigation. Text input is performed with the stylus through handwriting recognition software or though a virtual on-screen keyboard.

Most PDAs come with a cradle stay permanently connected to a Personal Computer (PC). The PDA can be placed in this cradle in order to transfer files, such as MP3s (music files), from the PC to the PDA. Other common interfaces are the compact flash and secure digital (SD) slots for memory upgrades and add-on peripherals. An infrared port is usually present to facilitate communication with other personal devices such as laptops and other PDAs. Earphone and microphone jacks are normally included also.

PDAs of today have more computing power than some PCs manufactured in the 1990s. An average Pocket PC of today would have the following technical specifications: 32-64 megabytes of RAM, 32-48 megabytes of ROM and a 300-400MHz processor. The Dell Axim X5 PocketPC is an example of a good value for money PDA (284 Euro at the time of writing, visit www.dell.ie). The Toshiba E330 Pocket PC has a similar specification and is available from www.amazon.co.uk at approximately the same price.
PDAs of the future will merge with mobile phones resulting in an all in one digital communications tool that will provide seamless access to both the Internet and your mobile network. Today PDAs are a useful luxury, however, in the not too distant future they will become indispensable, as they develop into the de facto standard for an all-in-one personal organisation, entertainment and communications solution.